From a press release issued by FGSport:

2005 SBK Calendar – Comments

The 2005 FIM SUPERBIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP calendar issued by FIM includes 12 events already confirmed and 4 to be confirmed.

Therefore, since its very beginning, the 2005 Championship already has one race more compared to the 2004 season, also including 2 new entries: Qatar that is very important to open the Middle East market, and Brno, thus bringing SUPERBIKE back in the East of Europe.

Another key element of the Championship is the high quality of the Circuits hosting SUPERBIKE: it must be noted that in every country included in the calendar, Formula One and top circuits will be always used. Also in Germany, where probably EuroSpeedway Lausitz is not the most illustrious, the circuit has no doubt the newest and most complete structure.

In 2005 SUPERBIKE will be present in 3 continents, but adding new races for which negotiations are under way they could become 4 again. In any case this result will be obtained in 2006.

Another important point is that SUPERBIKE in Europe is, among the world leading motorsport championships (Formula One, MotoGP, SUPERBIKE), the one that, together with Formula One, has the highest number of rounds: as many as 10.

From the marketing point of view this is an extremely important element both for the Motorcycle industry and for the sponsors, as Europe remains a reference market at world level.

Adding new races in the 2005, WORLD SUPERBIKE could strengthen this leadership and get round the temporary absence of the American date that will no doubt be back in the Championship in 2006, and maybe with more than one round.

Maurizio Flammini, FGSPORT Chairman, declared: “I want to underline that the enthusiasm produced by the great success of the 2004 WORLD SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP is creating the conditions for a great expansion of the Calendar in new circuits. Two new countries, Qatar and the Czech Republic have been included in the 2005 calendar and very likely other will be added within December. Moreover I’m sure that what many media call ‘the year of the World Superbike relaunch,’ will just mark the beginning of a great and successful revival. I also want to reveal, now, our goals for the short-term future of the WSBK Calendar:

* Keep and strengthen the leadership in Europe adding new countries;

* Bring America (with races both in the USA and in South America), Japan and Malaysia back in the Calendar;

* Add China where FGSPORT has been the first company, in motorsport, to organize a Road Racing World Championship, with the World Endurance, the 2nd May 2004 at Zhuhai.”